Method for cleaning venetian blinds



April 18, 1967 A. L. DYER 3,314,819

ETHOD FOR CLEANING VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Sept. 28, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORL A ndrew L. Dyer BY d wvsa A ril 18, 1%?

A L. DYER METHOD FOR CLEANING VENETIAN BLINDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28 1962 INVENTOR. Andrew L. Oyer April 18, 1967 A. L DYER 3,314,819

METHOD FOR CLEANING VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Sept. 28, 1962 5 Sheet-Sheet a F/ 1 3 3/*- 5- i 64b 640 i Q 64 4/ 64 25 I 5 w? Aw a K! g A m \w///// 'I INVENTOR. Andrew L. Dyer BY E 2 Aprifl 18, 1967 A. L. DYER 3,314,819

METHOD FOR CLEANING VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Sept. 28 1962 5 Sheets-5heet 4 INVENTOR Andrew L Dyer United States Patent Ofiiice 3,314,819 METHOD FOR CLEANING VENETIAN BLINDS Andrew L. Dyer, 278 W. 120th St., New York, NY. 10027 Filed Sept. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 227,024 2 Claims. (Cl. 134-6) This invention relates to a method for cleaning Venetion blinds. More particularly the invention relates to a transportable device for cleaning such blinds installed in large buildings such as apartment houses, industrial plants, public and private oflices, to which use, however, it is not restricted.

It is well known that the several advantages inherent to Venetian blinds oily films which deposit thereon.

Heretofore, it has been necessary to remove Venetian blinds from window and door frames in order to properly wash the slats and tapes. If done by hand, this is an awkward and time consuming process. If not, it usually involves a plant of very costly and complex apparatus, the necessity of removing the blinds from service for an inconvenient period of A further object is to devise accomplishing the first stated ob ect, and thus solve an 3,3 M31 g Patented Apr. 18, 1967 the hood opened to blind receiving and/ or withdrawing position;

FIG. 5 is a front detailed view of the rear portion of the washing hood shown partly in section;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an auxiliary rack to temporarily support exceptionally long blinds for washing purposes.

Referring now to the drawings, a transportable cart indicated generally as 10 has a base 11 mounted on two pairs of wheels 12, one pair of which swivel for steering purposes.

One end of two sets of parallel extension bars 13 are pivotally mounted as at 14 to the base and to the under 18 attached to the bars.

A pair of parallel tracks 19 is fixed longitudinally along the outer edges of an upper deck 20 on the platform. A pair of vertical bars or rods 21 which may be fabricated from metal tubing, are mounted upon a pair of rollers 22 movable in one track, and supported in upright position by means of brackets 23. ends of the brackets are attached to a complementary pair of rollers 24, movable in the outer track.

A pair of horizontal bars or rods 25 extend at right truding obstruction beneath it such as radiators,

The cleaning or washing unit indicated generally as 26 is mounted on the free ends of bars 25 and consists of a separable hood having a fixed rear portion 27 and a front portion 2 8 the central part of When a Venetian blind 31 is to be washed, the front portion 28 of the hood is guided upwards and outwards on bracket 20 by means of handle 32 the blind within the unit. Rollers 33 are disposed on each end of the base to facilitate rolling side to side across lower slat 34 by means of handles 35 attached to bars 21. Any conventional such as elongated pins inserted through the 19 may be used.

top of tracks bearing housings 39. tend through separable inafter set forth.

The shafts are simultaneously driven by means of a box-type drive gears 42 which the main drive 44 of an electric motor 45. The motor is attached to vertical bars or rods 21 and held in position proximate the hood by a transverse bracket 46.

The upper portion of a tank indicated generally as 47 is a container 48 for cleaning fluid such as Water while the lower portion is a container 49 for soapy water returned by gravity from the bottom drain 50 of the wash- The upper ends of the shafts extop plates 4-0 for purposes hereing unit via flexible hose 51. A soap or detergent container 52 mounted above tank 47 has a regulating valve 53 for selectively introducing such material into the flow of liquid forced up from container 48 via mixer 54 and supply conduit or tubes 55 to jet spray nozzles 56 in the hood by means of air compressed in the container 48 by a hand pump (not shown).

The two containers may advantageously be connected internally as by a pipe or a tube 57 to afford the reuse of soapy water in the washing unit. The air pressure in supply chamber 48 may be regulated by valve 58. A main valve 59 disposed in the mixer 54! controls the flow of all fluid to the washing unit first through tubes 55 to distributors 60 in both front and rear portions of the hood and thence to nozzles 56.

The base of the unit is provided with a rectangular passage 61 into which slats 34a of the blind may be loosely stacked in collapsed position prior to cleaning. As the cleaning process continues horizontally from the top to bottom of the blind, the unit is lowered periodically at which time the connecting tapes of the blind automatically raise the next series of collapsed slats into vertical position.

A pin or rod 62 attached to front portion 28 rides captive in slotted brackets or guide means 29, which are here shown attached to the lower bearing housing 39, as shown in FIG. 4. This pin and slot construction could be reversed if desired with the pin fixed to the lower housing 39 riding in a slotted member carried by front portion 23.

The front face of portion 28 is pivotally connected at the bottom to base 30 as by spring hinges 63. An elongated handle 32 is attached to a cross bar 64- pivotally mounted at each end as at 64a through complementary bores in a pair of brackets 64b, see FIG. 1. The cross bar has two arms 640 which extend transversely from the bar to encircle the protruding top of brush shafts 41. When the handle is pulled downward pin 62 is pulled upward and forward in its guide slot to first disconnect the brush shaft from its drive position and then open the washing hood by tilting the front portion 28 forward on its hinges. This action compresses spring 65, one end of which is anchored to a fixed cup 65a and the other to a retractable cup 65b which rides up and down on shaft 41. When the handle is released, spring 65 forces pin 62 to the lower end of its slot to reengage front brushes 36 with their respective shafts 38 and hold them firmly in operative position.

One or more pairs of complementary squeegy rollers 66 are mounted on the front and rear hood portions of the washing unit. These rollers are pivotally mounted to swing outwardly from the center against the action of springs 67 mounted on brakets 67a, see FIG. 5. Normally the springs press the rollers inwardly to dry both sides of the vertical slats 34b after cleaning and to steady the slats against the brushes. The top plate 40 has a series of arcuate notches through which the rollers may be adjustably attached to the plate as by screws 660. A set of partition panels 68 are disposed between the brushes and the squeegy rollers to deflect the water inwardly of the hood. Another set of flexible panels 69 which also rest on the slats are disposed on the outer side of the rollers to prevent water leaking from the unit. These soft panels protect the enameled slat surfaces from scratching. A further strip of plastic 76 which may extend from beneath plastic windows 71 prevents water from leaking through hinges 63. An inner floor covering 72 with a funnel shaped central opening 72a, see FIGS. 3 and 5, protects the gear assembly from exposure to moisture and corrosive chemical action. The windows afford a visible means of checking the proper action of the brushes and supply fluids, so that the operation may be regulated by adjustment of the respective valves.

In the event blinds are installed above the full range of the washing unit, an auxiliary device 73 is used in connection with the apparatus. This device shown in FIG. 6 has floor supports 74 provided with one or more rollers 75 for ready movability. Extendable upright supports 76 carry transverse bars 77 forming a rack upon which the top supporting piece of a blind may be placed. The device is maintained in upright position by telescoping horizontal bars 78 which adjust to various widths of blind.

In operation, the apparatus is wheeled up to a window having a soiled Venetian blind hung therein. The cart is maneuvered to position the washing unit directly under a blind.

The blind is then closed to place the slats in vertical position and the tension cord released. The front portion of the hood is opened to insert a stack of collapsed slats into passage 61 with the bottom slat 34 resting on rollers 33. The lift 15 is then cranked to raise the unit to the top of the blind before locking the front hood portion into operative position. A clamp (not shown) could be used if necessary to maintain the tension cord in released position.

After compressing the air within chamber 48 by means of a hand pump or the like (not shown) valve 53 is opened to emit a proper amount of cleaning material into the mixer 54 before turning valve 59 and allowing the pressurized fluid to spray from jets 56 onto both sides of vertical slats 34b. At the same time brushes 36 are rotated by turning on switch 79 to motor 45 after connecting plug 80 to an electric circuit.

The full width of the vertical slats are then washed, rinsed and dried by pushing the unit on rollers 22, 24 to and fro across the blind. When the first series of vertically disposed slats 34b in the unit are clean, the platform is lowered by means of crank 18, to allow the next series of collapsed slats 34a to fall or drop into the vertical position of slats 34b. Valve 53 is closed when rinsing the slats, as is valve 59 when the cleaning process is completed. The hood is then opened again to remove the heavy wooden bottom slat or bar before proceeding to the next window.

A chain 81 fastened to a crossbar 82 bewteen uprights 21 has a hook S3 for engagement around the transverse end $4- of the handle 32 to hold the front portion 28 of the hood in open position during loading and unloading procedures.

Tracks 19 may be apertured as indicated in FIG. 1 to receive stop pins 85 which can be inserted transversely therein. Such locking of wheels 22, 24 prevents inadvertent rolling of the supported structure across the platform when the apparatus is transported from one location to another.

The forms of the invention here described and illustrated are presented merely as examples of how the invention may be embodied and applied. Other forms, embodiments and applications of the invention, coming within the proper scope of the appended claims, will, of course suggested themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim: 1

1. A method of cleaning a Venetian blind without removing it from its normal operative position, said method including the steps of closing said blind to bring the slats into vertical position, pulling the blind up until only a desired number of upper slats remain in vertical position, placing the collapsed slats in a cleaning unit and removing the tension on the raising cord, moving said unit from end to end across the vertical slats to clean both: sides thereof, lowering said unit to automatically release another series of slats into vertical position, repeating said process until the lowest slats have been cleaned and then removing these slats from said unit.

2. A method of washing a Venetian blind according to claim 1 including the steps of rinsing each series of vertical slats after cleaning.

(References on following page) 6 References Cited by the Examiner 2,805,776 9/1957 Levitin 248-1 72 X 2,849,745 9/1958 Madsen 15-268 UNITED f PATENTS 2,876,472 3/1959 Rousseau 15-21 2/1954 Det en 2,928,111 3/1960 Jackson 15-4 4/1897 TheW 1 248172 X 5 2,996,747 8/1961 Iori 15-268 10/1919 Nakamura 134-25 5 1943 OK l 15 77 MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner. 11/1946 French 1341 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, DONALL H. SYL- 4/ 1953 W1ls0n 1521 VESTER, E. L. ROBERTS, A. D.. KELLOGG, J. 7/1954 Franchi 1577 10 ZATARGA, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A METHOD OF CLEANING A VENETIAN BLIND WITHOUT REMOVING IT FROM ITS NORMAL OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID METHOD INCLUDING THE STEPS OF CLOSING SAID BLIND TO BRING THE SLATS INTO VERTICAL POSITION, PULLING THE BLIND UP UNTIL ONLY A DESIRED NUMBER OF UPPER SLATS REMAIN IN VERTICAL POSITION, PLACING THE COLLAPSED SLATS IN A CLEANING UNIT AND REMOVING THE TENSION ON THE RAISING COR, MOVING SAID UNIT FROM END TO END ACROSS THE VERTICAL SLATS TO CLEAN BOTH SIDES THEREOF, LOWERING SAID UNIT TO AUTOMATICALLY RELEASE ANOTHER SERIES OF SLATS INTO VERTICAL POSITION, REPEATING SAID PROCESS UNTIL THE LOWEST SLATS HAVE BEEN CLEANED AND THEN REMOVING THESE SLATS FROM SAID UNIT. 